Truss type brake beam casting



@WL n3 RQ-F. EASELT HQQQ TRUSS TYPE BRAKE BEAM CASTING Filed July 13, 1946 Patented Sept. 13, 1949 2,481,969 V times we naaxnj BEAM CASTING Walter H. Baselt, :Flossmoor, 11]., asslgnor to American Steel Foundries, Chin-s 11L, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 13,1946, Serial No. 683,453

, 4 claims; (CL1 88-226.1)

' 1 This invention relates to railway brake beams and more particularly to a novel truss beam .wherein the brake head and-truss structure are integrally formed use. single casting.

A general object of the invention is to design a novel brake beam casting of light and economical construction and capable of withstanding the stresses to which such a beam is subjected under railway service conditions.

Another object of the invention is to design a novel brake beam such as above described wherein each end of thebeam is provided with a guide lug adapted for reception within an associated support structure such as a bracket on the side frame of a railway freight car truck.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l isa fragmentary top plan view of a brake beam embodying the invention, only one end thereof being illustrated inasmuch as the brake beam is symmetrical about its transverse center line; Figure 2 is a front view of the beam shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the beam shown in Figures 1 and 2 and illustrating the brake beam strut; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken in the vertical plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1. Describing the invention in detail, the novel brake beam is formed as a single casting comprising a Ir-section compression member 2 with a front substantially vertical web 4 forming the head of the T, and a rear substantially horizontal web 6 forming the leg of the T. Atension member t merges-with both webs 4 and 6, the web 4 being extended arcuatelyforward as at l to define a gusset 9 formed as a continuation of the web 6 at its juncture with the'tension member 8.

The tension member 8 merges with a rear vertical wall ill of a brake head generally designated i2, said head being of conventional form with a front wall I having a; conventional keysurface of the wall ll.

Inboard and outboard gussets it and (Figure 1) are connected betweenthe-tension member t and the .brake head walls. in and l! to 'strengthen the connectiongf thghead l o :the

truss structure dflned by the'tension and compression members 2 and I. said truss structure 2 r comprising a conventional strut-2t Figure 3) connected between'the tension and compression members and integrally formed therewith, said strut being of more or less conventional form and being adapted for pivotal securement in conventional manner to' an associated brake lever (not shown).

It is noted that the tension member 8 is tapered in thickness as at 23 outboardly of the vertical brake head wall It to afford a relatively light structure which, as above noted, is reinforced by the outboard gusset 20. It may also be noted that the gussets l8 and 20 are preferably of approximately the same thickness and lie in the same planes as the web. 6 of the compression member 2, thereby forming a continuation of said web 6.

A guide lug 22 is formed on the outboard end on the beam for cooperation with an associated support structure (not shown) to support and guide the beam in its diagonal movement to and from an associated rotating wheel and axle assembly (not shown). The lug 22 is preferably disposed in the plane of said movement and is diagonal to the plane ofthe truss structure, as best seen in Figure 3. The lug merges with the tapered outboard extremity of the tension member 8 and with the front wall ll of the brake head, as well as the outboard gusset 20 connecting said front wall with the tapered portion 23 of the tension member 8.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A brake beam comprising a single casting including a T-section compression member having affront substantially vertical web forming the head of the T and a rear substantially horizontal web forming the leg of the T, ,the outboard extremity of said front web extending arcuately forward of the intermediate portion of the front web, a diagonal tension member merging with the forward extremity of said front web and extending outboardly thereof to merge with the rear web, a brake head having a rear wall merging with the tension member, a front wall angularly related to the rear wall, a guide lug 'mergingwith' the outboard marginsv of the tension -member 'andthe. front wall,- andgussets connecting the front wall to the tension member inemes 3 r boardiyandoutboardiyoftherearwaltheont- Iarly related to the rear wall. and sunsets conboardgussetmerginzwiththelnz. nesting the front wall to the tension member in- 2.Abrakebeam,aoeordintoelaiml,wherein boardlyandoutboardlyoftherearwall. thesuideluzisdiagonaltotheplaneoftheten- 4.Abrakebeam,accordingtoclaim8,wherein sionmemherandtheoutboardendofthetension 5 the gussets are substantially eoplanarwith the member merges with the rear end of the in: and rear web of the compression member and apslopes upwardly from the lug to the rear brake proximately -biseot the forward surface of the head wall. tension member. a

3. A brake beam comprising a single casting WALTEREBASEL'I'.

including a. T-section compression member havl0 ing a front substantilly vertical web forming the REFERENCES CITED head of the T and a rear substantially horizontal The following mum are of m m the a web forming the leg of the T. the outboard exme of this M tremity of said front web extending forwardly ,e

from the intermediate portion thereof, a diagonal 16 UNITED STATE FRI-EN T8 tension member merging with the forward e:- Number Na D t tremity of the front web and extending out- '2,319,44o Bilsse May 18, 1943 boardly thereof to merge with the rear web, a 2,350, 71 Busch June 6, 1944 brake head having .a rear wall merging with the tension member and having a front wall angu- 20 

